Vegetable cutter



Jan. $7, 1950 w. H. MOORE 2,495,121

VEGETABLE CUTTER Filed March 21, 1946 yfl lmmm 1IHHH1HH. V v v v w 29 l 2W fnverziby;

75 79 5 w by Q Fat/AW Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "2,495,121 VEGETABLE CUTTER William H. oi-e, Bnfialo, n. Y. Application March 21, 1946, Serial No. 656,093

2 Claims. (01. 146-78) 1 This invention relates generally to certain new and useful improvements in machines for cutting or slicing vegetables and the like, and more particularly to a machine for home or domestic use.

One of its objects is to provide a machine of this character which is simple and compact in construction, positive, reliable and efficient in operation, and which is easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vegetable cutting machine which is so designed and constructed as to enable vegetables and fruits to be sliced in a uniform manner as well as tobe diced or cubed for use in salads and the like.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, the slicing machine embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken on line 22, Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal section taken in the plane of line 33, Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate correspondin parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, It) indicates a portable frame or standard on which the working parts of the device are mounted, such standard terminating at its bottom in a base II on which a bowl l2 or like vessel is adapted to be placed for receiving the fruits or vegetables sliced by the machine. Applied to this standard are relatively movable telescoping head and cutter members l3 and [4 between which the vegetable is placed and adapted to be sliced when such members are brought into operative relation with each other and with the resulting slices being discharged into the bowl l2. The cutter member I! is stationary relative to the vegetable-engaging head, and is detachably mounted in an opening l5 formed in a platform [6 overhanging the base H. The blades ll of thecutter member may be arranged as desired to cut the vegetable into slices or other shaped forms, and by preference and spaced below these blades to provide a horizontal slot or guideway l8 are guide vanes l9 which are in aligning or registering relation with the blades and between which the sliced particles pass or discharge into the vessel for receiving them. Guided for reciprocatin movement on this platform at right angles to the movement of the head member I3 is a dicing cutter. 20 which is adapted to be projected into and out of the cutter guide- Way I8 subsequent to each operative stroke of the head, member to sever the sliced particles into diced or other forms of varying lengths desired.

The head member l3, which is ribbed or slotted as shown, to'mate and telescope into the cutter member M to eject the cut particles therefrom into the vessel I2, is applied to the lower end of a vertically movable plunger 2i guided in a suitable bearing 22 formed on the standard for continuous or intermittent movement. Formed on this plunger is a rack 23, with which a ratchet-actuated pinion 24 cooperates, a vertically-swinging lever Zibeing employed for actuating the pinion and in turn the operative stroke of the plungerhead. If desired, a sprin 26 may be applied to the upper end of the plunger with one end abutting against the bearing 22 and its other end against a collar 21 fixed on the plunger, whereby the latter is constantly urged upwardly to bring its head member clear of the platform [6. The plunger has a vertical slot 28 therein which is adapted to be engaged, under certain operating conditions, with a releasable bolt 29 for limiting the downward travel of the plunger.

The dicing'cutter 20 is preferably actuated by a solenoid 30 mounted on the platform l6 and havin its movable core 3| connected to the inner end of such cutter. A spring 32 coiled about the projecting inner end of this core and abutting at one end against the solenoid and at its other end against a collar 33 applied to such core serves to normally urge this cutter to a retracted position. A switch 34 included in the circuit of the solenoid is provided for controlling the projection of the cutter at the will of the user to its dicin position. If desired, this dicing cutter may be manually actuated by a vertically-swinging lever 35 pivoted adjacent the inner end of the platform and having a cam 36 connected thereto in wiping operative relation to the collar 33 of the solenoid-core 3 I, so that when such lever is swung forwardly the dicing cutter is projected into the guideway ll! of the cutter member M to transversely cut or dice the vegetable particles sliced by the latter.

Pivotally mounted on the standard In in governing relation to the releasable bolt 29 and the switch 34 is a manually actuated lever 31 having a pendant latch 38 which is normally engaged with the bolt to retain it in 2. released position, a spring 39 connected to said bolt normally urging it into operative engagement with the plunger 2 I. This latch is guided on a bracket 40 projecting outwardly from the bearing 22, and a spring 4| interposed betweenthis bracket and a collar 42 on the latch normally urges the latter not intersect the plane of travel of the dicing,

cutter.

limiting and cushioning the forward and retum movements of the dicing.

While manifestly simple, compact and inex- Suitable stops 43 may be provided for fitransversely of the former, a plunger guided on pensive in construction, this improved machine; is very eflicient for slicing or dicing fruits and vegetables, it is easy tooperate and it is so designed that it is not liable to get out of order.

For slicing purposes, =thevegetabie or :fruit r-is placed between the members 13, 1 l and the l-liead lowered by the handle -25'=to'foroe the vegetable downwardly than the cuitter fl t'o slice it and cause the slices to drop :bygiwiityi-into the bowl 12. For dicing, thevegetablezis fed in intermitt-ent fashion Ithru'th'e cutter H and between each downward-stroke of the plungergaged by the pull on the lever 25, the cutter 20 :is actuated to cut the vegetable atmight angles to the nome cut. The operating stiioke of the dicing nutter may be .efiected manually by the lever '35 or electrically by depressing the lever 32 to energize the solenoid 30.

I claim as my invention".

1. A device of the character described, com-' prising a frame, slicing "and dicing putters :mounted on said frame at substantially right an ;gles to each other, the sliding cutter being sta- :tionary and the dicing cutter being movable transversely \of the former, a plungersgu'ided on :said frame including a vegetable-engaging head in opposing relation to 'the stationary cutter, a releasable 'bol't disposed inoperative :relation to the plunger and protecting to a position :fior-iimiting its operative stroke during the operation of the (dicing cutter means operatively connected to said dicing cutter for reciprocating it into and out of its dicing position, a latch for normally retaining said bolt in its released position, and an actuating device common to said bolt-retaining latch and said dicing cutter reciprocating means for governing the release of the bolt to its operative stop-limiting position and the initiation of the dicing cutter to its projected operative position.

2. A device of, the character described, com- ,prising a'uframe, slicing and dicing cutters mounted on said "frame at substantially right angles to each other, the slicing cutter being statlonary and the dicing cutter being movable said frame including a vegetable-engaging head in opposing relation to the stationary cutter,

fsolenoid ,means including a control switch oper- REFERENCES CITED The following referencesa're of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name- Date 947,362 Wells Jan. 25, 1910 1,359,362 Gail-la Nov. .16, 1920 1,457,137 Barbey May 29., 1923 1,599,847 :Slee Sept. :14, 1926 1,657,,213 Jagenburg Jan. 24, 1928 2,1432% Hartman Jan. 10, 1939 2,157,604, Gray May 9, 1939 FOREIGN 'PA'I'EN'IS Number Country Date Great Britain Sept. 6, 1937 

